Professional Cerakote Wheel Finishing: Prep to Cure with Built American

While we’ve used Cerakote to customize some awesome rifles, there are so many more applications for it! In this video, I revitalize some used motorcycle wheels using the Built American GS3-457 Spray Booth and BAE-0300 Oven. (Use code UR5 to save 5% on one Built American product, use UR10 to save 10% on 2+ products!)

Disclaimer

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About the Project

I’ve previously detailed how to Cerakote a variety of gun parts and accessories including barrels and scopes, as well as covered various techniques.

I’ve recently been exploring a new hobby – racing – and my first track days taught me the importance of having a spare set of wheels.

I bought a pair of spare wheels off ebay for my 2006 GSX-R 1000 Suzuki so that I can have a set of wheels ready to go at all times.

While many enthusiasts associate Cerakote just with firearms, it is also used in the automotive, aerospace, fitness, fishing, and medical device industries, among others.

If you are curious about all of the ways Cerakote is currently being used, explore their website. Cerakote offers several series of coatings that are designed for specific applications with different temperature ratings. As a general rule, colors with less pigment can withstand greater temperatures than those with more.

In example, the C-Series Sniper Grey is temperature-rated up to 1200 degrees Fahrenheit.

C-Series Black Velvet performs in up to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit, ideal for exhaust manifolds.

The oven curve V-Series is a complement to the air cure C-Series, both having excellent UV resistance.

Most of my work thus far on the channel has been with H-Series Cerakote, known for tight tolerance applications as well as excellent corrosion resistance and durability.

Unlike powder coating, Cerakote is lighter in weight and doesn’t encourage cracks under the surface.

H-Series isn’t ideal for wheels to be used in an offroad environment as this series is harder and more prone to chipping than others. My bike is designed for street riding, so H-Series will work splendidly.

Besides wheels, I could also choose to Cerakote parts like clutch covers, frames, brakes, and more with H-Series.

Prep, Cerakote, and Cure

I stripped the wheels, masked, then sandblasted them.

I usually blast all the way down to the bare metal, but it didn’t take long to realize that would be an incredibly time-consuming task.

It took approximately two minutes to reach bare metal on an area the size of a penny! I consulted Cerakote, who confirmed that roughing up the surface would be enough. To ensure I didn’t miss any surface area, I used a guidecoat—a technique often used in the automotive industry— fogging the wheels with black.

When all of the black was gone, I was certain I had roughed up all desired surfaces in entirety. I wiped off the wheels and removed all adhesive, putting bolts through the valve stem holes so they could be easily hung in my Built American GS3-457 Spray Booth.

After masking the wheels with precisely-cut, high-temperature yellow vinyl, I mixed up 900 grams of Cerakote, perhaps the biggest mix I’ve done yet, and got to work.

I applied three complete coats of Patriot Blue, spraying continuously as it took at least the full five-minute flash time to spray one whole wheel.

Applying Cerakote to the Motorcycle Wheels

I racked the wheels and rolled them over to my ovens, hanging one in the BAE-0200 and the other in the BAE-0300 to ensure there was enough space for each. After a 15-minute flash, I cured the Cerakote at 250 degrees for two hours.

Once they had cooled, I removed them from the ovens and removed the mask to reveal the final result.

Conclusion

I was very happy with how the wheels came out and cannot wait to see them on my bike. Cerakote is an extremely versatile coating and it was a fun experience to apply it on a bigger scale using Built-American equipment. What are you interested in using Cerakote for?